LMRA template for refrigeration technicians: how do you use it well?

Last-Minute Risk Analysis (LMRA) — a 5-minute safety check by the technician before he starts a job. Mandatory for VCA-certified companies, strongly recommended for all refrigeration technicians because of the particular risks involved in F-gas work.

This article describes how you use LMRA in practice — without it becoming a paperwork exercise where everyone automatically ticks "OK".

What is LMRA and why do you do it?

LMRA is a last-line-of-defense safety check. The idea:

• The RI&E (Risk Inventory and Evaluation) is done at company level, mapping out all the theoretical risks.
• The work plan/work permit is drawn up for the specific project, with control measures built in.
• The LMRA is what the technician checks on site, 5 minutes before starting: do those plans still hold today, here, in this weather, with these tools, with this crew?

So it is not a replacement for the RI&E but an addition at the moment it really matters.

The 5 elements of a good LMRA

1. Environment: weather, other people, animals, obstacles, lighting, communication options. 2. Tools + materials: valid inspection, correct type for the job, sufficient stock. 3. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): present, tested, suitable for today's risks. 4. Own condition: technician well-rested + not under the influence + concentration OK. 5. Escape route: emergency exit clear, first aid + fire extinguisher within 15m.

Specific to refrigeration

On top of the standard 5, there are three risk domains that often occur in refrigeration work:

### A2L refrigerant (R-32, R-454B, R-1234yf)

Since (EU) 2024/573 more and more A2L refrigerants are being used. A2L = low flame-retardant. In enclosed spaces (a small basement, a rooftop installation with little wind) a concentrated gas leak can lead to ignition.

Specific LMRA questions for A2L work:

• Is the work area ventilated? Open windows / doors / mechanical ventilation?
• No flame work (welding, cutting) within 3 metres of the work point?
• Leak detector present + calibrated?
• In the event of a leak: escape route clear?

### Aerial work platform / rooftop installations

Many air conditioners and heat pumps are placed on roofs or in elevated locations. This adds a fall risk:

• Aerial work platform last inspection < 12 months ago? (legally required annual inspection, Arbobesluit art. 7.4/7.4a + NEN-EN 280)
• Fall protection attached to a solid anchor point (> 12 kN)?
• Wind > 6 Bft = postpone the work
• Roof edges + skylights marked

### Fire and hydrogen fluoride (HF) with F-gases

When F-gases burn (through accidental contact with an open flame), they can decompose into hydrogen fluoride (HF) and carbonyl fluoride (COF₂) — both HIGHLY toxic.

The most important LMRA question here: never extinguish a suspected F-gas fire with water or normal extinguishers. Only approach with sufficient gas detection + breathing apparatus.

How do you use the form without it turning into a tick-box list?

Three principles from experience with VCA-certified technicians:

1. LMRA belongs to the technician, not the supervisor.

When the supervisor always fills in the LMRA, the technician stops doing it himself. Give the technician the pen + the signalling role.

2. One risk with substantiation > ten risks blank-ticked.

Better a form with 11 points OK and 1 point "not OK" + an attached control measure, than a form with 12 OK's while you know the concrete floor was actually a bit slippery.

3. Photos help.

Take a photo of the work site at the start. Attach it to the LMRA form. In any subsequent incident analysis, this is worth its weight in gold.

Digital LMRA via Koldwerk

For companies that want to automate the LMRA process: our LMRA module does:

• A template per type of work (leak check / top-up / decommissioning / installation)
• Photo evidence required via the phone camera
• Double signature (technician + supervisor for risk work)
• Audit trail per LMRA performed
• Trend analysis of which risks occur often → input for the RI&E update

But you don't need to use Koldwerk to do LMRA properly. Our LMRA form as a free download is a 2-page PDF with 12 standard + 7 F-gas-specific + 5 aerial-work-platform risk categories. Print it, copy it 50 times, and start using it tomorrow.

Cross-references

• What is BRL 100 (audit trail requirements)
• F-gas Regulation 2024/573 explained for technicians
• VCA Centraal — LMRA explained (opent in nieuw tabblad)

Disclaimer: LMRA is an addition to the RI&E + work plan, not a replacement. Additional documentation requirements apply for VCA-certified companies. If in doubt: consult your VCA coordinator or safety expert.